Crown Princess Marie describes, in a letter (October 3rd 1895) to her mother Marie, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the inauguration of the great iron bridgeacross the Danube:

…. I have not told you either about the festivities at the opening of the bridge which were very grand. We left Sinaia at 7 in the morning, dressed in our smart clothes in the train and arrived at the bridge at 1. Then began the festivities one after another, first Uncle put in the finishing nail, then the last stone, then the religious service, then a train composed of 20 engines went across a bridge and then a train at full speed, Oh! It did make a noise. Then came a huge banquet of 300 people, then we went on to a ship and steamed about under the bridge, it was already getting dark and there was a lovely sunset. It is the second largest bridge in Europe. We spent the night on the Danube ship and the next morning early we left the Constantza the harbour or sea-port or what ever it is. There of course tremendous reception. It is a very interesting part of the country as the population is a mixture of Greeks, Romanians, Jews, Bulgarians, and a great many Turks, one saw marvellous types at each nationality most amusing. We visited the churches of each and in each there was a service. In the afternoon of Friday and we made a trip on the Romanian ship ‘Elisabeth’ and the sea was as calm as a lake and as blue as a sapphire quite heavenly and most enjoyable. We visited the other Romanian ships and an English ship quite an old one. On Saturday morning we left again and arrived at Sinaia in the evening. I enjoyed it very much and I feel boisterously well and happy and enjoy being young and well. Nando’s Papa is here and his brother William, Charly and Feo also, they are beginning to get under Aunt’s charm the consequence is I see now little of them. I don’t mind much as you know I have always known how to occupy myself…